Embers of War
by CrazyBusiness
Summary: There's a war to be fought, and Ember is determind to be apart of it. She loves the land Flanaess, and will fight for her country or die trying. Her devotion leads her on some epic adventures, to quick friends, and to unexpected enemies.
1. Introduction

**Author's Notes** are in my Profile (they will be replaced or added to when the next chapter is published).

* * *

She was being stared at. Well, not quite her, but her mount.

* * *

Ember merch Straythorne is the daughter of the famous String merch Straythorne, whom she's never met.

Ember was a barbarian, was raised by barbarians, and had lived as a barbarian. She had 5 foster brothers, and a foster mother. She herself was a fosterling, sent here at a young age to grow up as a warrior and join the war against the Giants.

Her origins are from the Duchy of Geoff, as her father's are.

She lived in a small village in the wilderness of the Gnarley Forest, with a few men as warriors to defend against natural predetors and a few low class clerics still in training. Her education consisted of basic knowldge, such as the geography of the Domain of Flanaess, or Greyhawk, and the greater deities, such as her chosen one, Pelor. She grew up learning Common, and was taught the language Flan. However, she did posess uncanny common sense compared to the rest of her village.

She also had knowledge on simple skills such as hunting and cooking, but was also allowed to participate in combat training with the young men of the village whenever the farmers had free time. She was the only woman in the village who was able to weild a sword properly. Personally, she liked the Scimitar. Her only armor to the elements and to any attacks was mainly leather and sometimes hide, when the tanners could spare some for free.

She left her village at the age of 19. She refused for years to never bed a man nor marry, in the village especially. She was sent packing by her foster mother, embarrassed to have such a rebelious girl in her care.

Ember took with her a small coin purse filled with 30gold, apparently what her father had told to her foster mother to give to her when she 'went out into the world', a standared adventurer's satchel, containing travel rations, fodder, rope, and some lesser health potions, her weapon, and her favorite mare, Fuzzy.

It only took her a few days of slow walking under the unobstructed sun to get to where she was going. She would stop at a farmer's house and ask to stay the night in the barn, then leave before dawn and not break her fast until midday. She knew where she was going, but didn't quite know what to do once she got there.

Ember merch Straythorne was going to the capital, The Free City of Greyhawk, known as the "Gem of Flanaess".

* * *

Ember entered the Outskirts of the city and dismounted, making sure her coin purse was out of sight and well hidden before entering the gate. However, she did leave a few silvers hidden in her hand to give to the poor for when she passed by the Slum District in the city.

As Ember slowly, but confidentally walked to one of the many gates of the city, she was stopped by the City Watch.

"Whoa! Hold up! You there!" A guard yelled, "What do you think you're doing? You think I'm gonna let a barely clothed lassie like you into the city?"

"I-" Ember stammered.

"You can't go into the city with your horse and weapons too!" The guard exclaimed, but also made his statement sound like it was common knowledge.

Ember soon got her voice back. "Sir," she said respectfully, "I know that the _Free_ City of Greyhawk allows its citizens to enter with their weapons as long as they stay sheathed and do not harm anyone or anything."

The guard stared at her for a bit like she was stupid, or maybe slow, and then he burst into barking laughter. "Ha Ha Haaa! We don't get gals like you with the balls to correct the City Watch here often. Where you come from girl?"

The guard was at least a hand shorter than Ember, maybe more, and looked very round. His face also seemed to be somewhat chubby, but Ember noticed that he had once been a fit young man, and had gotten his nose broken once, maybe twice.

"I'm from the village Eldervines. I was a fosterling there. My name is Ember merch Straythorne."

"Ahhh, no wonder you're a big girl! Got muscles like a man. Ever think about joining the City Watch?" The guard joked.

"No, sir. I plan on joining the army." Ember stated plainly.

The guard looked incrdulous. "WHAT! Bahahahaa," he laughed, sounding like a large dog barking, "a woman in the army! Now it's not unheard of, but I never heard of a woman actually wanting to be part of the militia. Whooo." The guard wiped a tear from his eye.

Ember seemed unperturbed. "Sir, what is your name?"

"Huh? Oh, my name is Treylawny Jaggmire." The guard stuck out his hand.

Ember shook it. "Nice to meet you Treylawny. Could you point me to an area where I may house Fuzzy?" Ember indicated her mare.

The guard smiled and stifled a laugh. "Of course, heh. I'll show you." Treylawny began walking away from the gate. "Hey, Dave, can you cover for me!" The man who Ember assumed was Dave nodded his head.

They walked away from the gate along the city wall, avoiding most of the brothels outside Greyhawk City, and arrived at the Watch's stable. "Here, you can put your mare in our stables. Don't have too many horses since we watchmen are rarely outside the city's reach."

"Thank you," Ember said genuinely. "How much will this cost?"

"Ahhh how about 15 silver?" The guard offered innocently.

Ember paused a moment, seeming to contemplate the offer. She was raised by farmers who bargained for money based on the quality of their crops, so she had an idea of how this should work.

"How about 5?"

"15," the guard replied.

"5."

"13."

"7."

"Okay, lets meet in the middle. 10 silver, final offer."

"Alright, that seems fair." Ember smiled, and handed over 10 silver from the small pile in her hand.

"Nice doin' business with ya." Treylawny threw a silver coin in the air and caught it. "Now, lets see about getting you into the city. You ought to be tired from your trip."

"Many thanks," Ember nodded her head in appreciation.

To get into Greyhawk City, every traveler or adventurer must purchase a license to be able to bring their weapon into the city's walls, as long as they keep it sheathed and only are allowed to use it in self-defense. For magic users, they must agree to not use any harmful magic inside the city.

"Okay," the guard handed her a small piece of parchment, "here's your license. It doesn't cost that much; it only costs a couple silver."

"If you say so," Ember replied, becoming more and more weary as her travles had finally worn her down. She handed over the two silver pieces. "It was nice meeting you Treylawny. I hope we meet again, though under friendly circumstances," Ember joked.

"I hope so! I think you could take me in a fair fight," Treylawny admitted, "but maybe not." He winked.

Ember entered the city's gate, heading toward the Foreign District to find a resonable Inn or Tavern to get some rest.

As she walked on the main road to the Foreign District, she noticed that no one looked at her weird or even thought she was odd. It seemed to her Treylawny did not represent most of the population of The Free City of Greyhawk. She did get some interesting looks whenever she would give a silver piece to a child or elder, and soon after those looks she decided to visit a church that gives to those less fortunate, and give them her donation to the poor.

She visited the closest church she could find. The clerics treated her respectfully for a visitor whose chosen deity was Pelor, and not the one of the church, and directed her toward their donation chest. Ember said a quick prayer to Pelor with regards to the church's god, and left to continue on her way to a tavern.

On her way to the Foreign District, she could hear several mentions and positive remarks about the Blue Dragon Inn. She decided that she'd check out this Blue Dragon Inn and form her own opinion of the tavern.

* * *

Ember opened the front door to the Inn and was hit by the noise and hubub inside the small bar room, and the scent of sweat and ale wafted over her and made her stagger by the intensity of it all. Even the smelliest men in her village could never make this much noise or smell this bad!

The newcomer had gotten a few fellows inside the doorway to stop their conversation and stare at her, but they soon ignored her and swiveled their heads away from Ember.

She slowly began walking towards the bar and squeezed her way through to the counter. She could feel men staring at her, observing her, sizing her up, and she didn't like it one bit. She was fine with getting sent away from her village just for this reason. She ordered ale from the bartender in an audible, carrying voice and placed the appropriate amount of coppers on the table.

The Inn was brighter than the setting sun outside, but still wasn't bright enough to be considered good light. The bar was sticky with beer and the floor, walls, and ceiling looked the same color. It was rather a boring place arcitecturally, but after all, who goes to a tavern to admire the walls?

She moved away from the counter and found the only table with empty seats to sit. The only other people who were at the table was a halfing wizard and an elven archer.

The halfling looked short even for his race and seemed to lack that halfling mischief and humor people say they always have in their eyes. He had an aged face and tanned skin with above the shoulder black wavy hair, dark eyebrows and dark green eyes. His lips appeared to be a thin, slightly wrinkled line. He wore cloth robes of tan colors with bright red highlights, and wore a small cape with its hood up.

On the other hand, the elf wore leather armor. Her skin was pale, almost like porcelin, and ruler straight hair the color of straw. She had pale, almost invisible blonde eyebrows and devastating blue-green eyes. She had a small mouth, with her upper lip slightly bigger than her lower, and an angular face with a straight nose. Her hair was tucked behind her pointed ears, as if to say, "I'm elven and I'm better than you." She had a large yew bow next to her and a pack of arrows with different fletchings and colors, probably to signify their magical properties.

The elf seemed to be sizing her up, and Ember just looked at her over her mug of ale, failing to be inconspicuous.

Ember was approximately 5'11" and just by glancing at her, one could tell she was very strong. She had thick dark brown hair, as dark as the forest floor and solid brown eyebrows. She had bright blue eyes which were stark on her lightly tanned skin and complextion. She had a somewhat crooked nose, but not noticeable if you didn't study her face. He lips were full, but looked as if they seldom smiled. In truth, she was more fighter than barbarian.

Ember put down her mug. "Hello," the elf said abruptly, "my name is Pilineth Undovaul and this is Fawks Thimblebraid."

"My name is Ember merch Straythorne."

Pilineth paused for a bit. "You wouldn't heppen to be the daughter of String merch Straythorne?"

"Yes," Ember replied, staring into the elf's eyes, trying to see if she had any reaction. If Pilineth did, she found none.

"Interesting. You know, I would've thought the daughter of a master bowman would've taken up archery," Pilineth commented, subtley slipping the implied question into her observance.

"I was a fosterling, sent to a village my father knew to be raised as a fighter so that I may help in the war."

"Ah," was all Pilineth said, for there were more people coming over to the table.

There were two people, one was a tall human female who wore a chain shirt and a holy symbol of some sort, and the other was a dwarf who wore scale mail. The dwarf fighter just took a seat next to Ember and the cleric asked politely if they could join us. Fawks, Pilineth, and Ember nodded in unison, and she sat down between Fawks and the dwarf.

"Hi, my name is Sondossa Chadista, and this is Hans Bronzehammer," the cleric spoke.

"Hello," Ember greeted Sondossa with a small smile, "my name is Ember merch Straythorne, this," she indicated the elf, "is Pilineth Undovaul and Fawks Thimblebraid."

"Greetings," Pilineth said with no inflextion.

"Hmmm, hey," was all Fawks said to greet them.

The dwarf was light skinned and his caramel colored beard went as low as his belt. Ember couldn't see if he had a full head of hair or not, for he was wearing a large padded helmet. He looked to have a stocky build, and on the bits of skin visible, even had a few scars and battle marks on his face and hands. He had bushy eyebrows the same color as his beard and dark amber eyes.

On the other hand, the cleric had coacoa tinted skin and long, thick hair that was tied in a braid. She had thin black eyebrows, brown eyes, and a short, straight nose. Her lips were more full than Ember's and the color of dark lavender. She wore a few silver piercings in her both her ears and small charms in her braid. Ember could not make out what god or goddess was represented on the woman's holy symbol drapping from her neck.

"I am a cleric of Rao," said Sondossa after notcing Ember's stare directed at her holy symbol. "Rao is a god of piece, reason, and serenity."

Ember vaguely remembered Rao being mentioned as a deity in her few lessons of religion.

"Oi," Hans said abruptly, "what's wit 'im?" He pointed to Fawks.

"Oh, ummm," Pilineth waved her hand nonchalontly. "He always gets like that when he loses a bet or loses money from gambling."

"Harumph," Fawks piped up. "I wouldn't be so grumpy if that guy hadn't cheated me out of half my money!" He crossed his arms.

"Ha! Yer jus' makin' that up b'cause yer a sore loser," Hans said loudly, wagging his finger at the little halfling.

Fawks slammed his hands on the table. "No I'm not!"

"I'm afraid I have to agree with the halfling," said a mellow voice behind Ember.

Ember swivaled on her stool and saw a tall young man, possibly taller than herself, but not nearly as strong, with a dark grey cloak that ended in muddy strips at the edges, and with curly red-orange hair that it looked like he wore a crown of fire. He had the same color of bold, thin eyebrows and grey-green eyes, like the color of morning dew on a patch of grass. He wore studded leather armor under his cloak. He had a very light skin tone but healthy complextion. The bridge of his nose was prominent, and he also had a celft chin and a thin, strong mouth. He smiled at her, a twinkle in his eyes.

"I was watching their game earlier this evening and noticed the man would switch the dice whenever he would go. Tsk, tsk, tsk. You should've known to stop playing while you were ahead," he added sarcastically to Fawks.

"Well excuse me for trying to get my gold back fair and square!" Fawks yelled, his face turning red with both anger and embarrassment.

The man opened his mouth, but Sondossa interupted by suggesting the man grab a stool and sit with them. He stepped away from the table, grabbed a tipped over stool and brought it back. He placed the stool down and sat himself between Pilineth and Ember.

"My name is Sondossa Chadista. And you are?"

"Ah. My name is Tsel Namek," he replied confidently. "And you all are?" He spread his arms to indicate the people sitting at the table.

"Fawks Thimblebraid." Fawks inclined his head.

"I'm Pilineth Undovaul," she said unsmiling.

"Tha names Hans Bronzehammer." Hans reached forward and shook Tsel's hand.

"Ember merch Straythorne." Ember smiled slightly at the cloaked man, dimples forming on her cheeks.

Tsel reached out to shake her hand. He had a firm handshake, and Ember could feel the callouses marking him as a rogue and seasoned combatant.

A person passed by Ember's right, and an envelope dropped onto the table.

* * *

Okay ya'll! Please leave a review. Over 3,000 words :D Next chapter will be up next week. Thanks for reading!


	2. Everyone's Got A First

**Author's Notes **are in my Profile. They will be added to or replaced by next chapter.

* * *

The parchment was sealed with red wax, stamped with a lizard with its back showing, its tail intact and a stripe down the middle of it's back.

"Does anyone recognize this or something?" Ember inquired to her table.

Everyone shook their heads.

"Lets open it," said Tsel.

"Aaahpupup! Let me see if there's an arcane trap," Fawks ordered, curling one hand as a signal to hand the letter over. It only took a few moments for Fawks to detect any magical properties, and found none. He handed the letter back to Tsel.

Tsel held the letter carefully, like it was a prized possession and must not be handled roughly, and looked each person in their eager eyes (including Pilineth) before breaking the seal.

* * *

_Dear Adventurers,_

_A priceless posession of mine has been stolen by the Braesier family by one of  
their god forsaken sons. I do not know whish son it may be, for they all play theif  
__when out on the streets of Greyhawk, so that is for you to find out. I want this  
man punished for their theft, for I'm sure they did not know the importance of wha__t  
__they have stolen from me! I ask this of you adventurers because this is a theft  
that must be kept quiet, and not to be brought to the attention of the City Watch  
__or any guilds. My informant will give you an advance payment of 25 gold, and  
you will recieve a greater payment upon the return of my item._

_You may ask 'what is this item?'_

_Well, 'this item' is the family heirloom of my family, and must be returned soon.  
__If my informant finds that you havefailed, well, let me just say you won't ever  
__be seeing that second payment,__or any other payments. I enlist your help in good  
faith that my informant haschosen men and women capable of this task, and who  
specialize in discreteness._

_My informant will bring me news periodically on the progress of your investigation._

_Forever grateful,_

_S.K._

_

* * *

_

After Tsel finished with the reciting of the letter, a man in a black, concealing cloak approached the table. He had his hood up, and the dim light of the tavern could only reveal part of a crooked nose and thin lips that seemed to always be in a michevious smile.

"So adventurer's, will you take up this task?" the cloacked figure ask quietly enough for them to only hear.

"Hmmmm," the halfling voiced, placing his right fore finger and thumb on his chin. "What's in it for us?"

"25 gold will be your advance payment, and any items you find along the way are yours." The revealed a crooked smiles as well. "Also, your final reward is directly related to your succes. If you only half succeed, then half credit."

"Who is S.K. then?" Ember asked.

"My employer, Selia Kotun. She is head of The Kotun Trading Company and is one of the Kotun's Family female elders. She is very generous when one is on her good side," the man hinted with a wink at Sondossa. Sondossa's face was passive and she turned her head away from the man, knowing he was one who likes to stir trouble.

"Oh my. Please excuse my lower class manners milady," the man said sarcastically with a deep bow in Pilineth's direction. She grimaced. "My name is Raskalin. I will be your shadow from now on. Well, that's if you accept this task."

Ember glanced around the table. No one seemed to object. "Sure," She said hesitantly.

"Oh, aye lad, we'll do it, but where do we start?" Hans asked quite loudly, enough for the next table to hear. "We don't even know what this item is!"

"Shhhhh," Raskalin said, putting his index finger on his lips. "Do not speak so loudly! I will tell you what the item is." Raskalin placed both hands on the table and leaned closer to the center. "It is a Tear of Beory."

"What and who is that?" the dwarf asked Raskalin, slightly impatient of these guessing games.

"The Oerth goddess, one of the intermediate deities," Sondossa said, "her tears are very rare. Made out of pure blue gemstone, it is molded into a tear by the blessing of Beory until it is as smooth as a pearl and can contain powerful properties, all mainly oriented with the protection of nature and wildlife."

"Couldn't have said it better myself," Raskalin said and nodded acknowledgement to Sondossa. She still remained passive to the cloaked man. He shrugged.

"Whelp," Tsel said loudly, lifting himself from his stool, "nice chatting with you sir. We'll be sure to get right on it!" Tsel reached out his hand to shake Raskalin's.

He accepted. "Gods speed," he said, then left through the back entrance into a series of allyways.

Ember pulled on Tsel's cloak and whispered, "Why did you do that?"

"So then the cloaked figures can follow _us_ out," Tsel replied innocently, and smiled a knowing smile.

"Oh," was all Ember could say. She felt a little dumb at that moment. She _had_ noticed their were a few people, maybe four or five, with dark cloaks and their cowls up over their faces, making them unidentifiable.

Everyone stood up at the same time besides Tsel, who had already been standing, and moved single file to the front entrance. Ember decided to be last in the line, and noticed in her peripherel vision some of the hooded figures stand and go out the back entrance.

It was now far into the night and the stars were dimmer in the city than in the country side. Not many were on the streets at this hour, either at home enjoying a homecooked meal or in a bar or tavern, or maybe even in some of the darker places of Greyhawk City. The dim lantern of the Blue Dragon Inn lit very little of the road in which the group was on. The party held a conference in hushed tones outside the door of the Inn.

"What should we do?" asked the cleric of Rao.

"What do ya think? We fight," Hans repremanded her, saying it like it is the most obvious reason.

"But," Tsel added, "we now know that they are going to attack us, or at least, there's a high probability that they will. So, how about we lead them into an ambush? Then we'll have the upper hand."

"I like the sound of that!" The halfing wizard commented.

"Then who will lead the creatures into the ambush?" Pilineth asked, immediately taking up the idea, seeing it's potential.

"I will," Ember volunteered herself instantly.

"Oi, count me in too," Hans said with a nod. "I ain't good at sneakin'. I prefer ta face my enemies in the open."

"Suit yourself," Fawks said with a shrug. "I'm going to hide."

"And I'll sneak up from behind," Tsel added. "Sondossa, you should - "

"I'll stay out in the open so as to not bring suspiscion to our plan. I got it Tsel," Sondossa glowered at himl. "Just because I am a cleric of peace does not mean I will not fight."

"Good." Tsel nodded.

"I will be on the roofs following the party," Pilineth said. "I'll shoot an arrow in front of the party if one of the cloaked figures is on the roof or if they are about to attack us."

Everyone nodded their head in agreement.

"Let's go," Tsel ordered.

* * *

The group had navigated through the Foreign District's alleys for some time now. Tsel had moved to follow the creatures stalking the group while Pilineth was jumping from roof to roof in silence. Fawks had decided he wasn't very good at sneaking either, and stayed with the group and said he was "going to take cover" if he had to. Ember, Fawks, Sondossa, and Hans had just turned a corner into a dead end when an arrow landed with a thunk inside the outside wall of a building in front of them.

The four of them drew their weapons and turned to find three goblins in black cloaks with their hoods down. One was a wizard and two were fighters wielding short swords. One of the fighters gargled a battle cry and charged the dwarf, passing by Ember. She hit him with her scimitar, but he continued his charge and achieved only a glancing blow on the dwarf. Hans countered with his own sword and cut the goblin on their sunken cheek.

Fawks moved behind a barrel in the alleyway and hit the goblin fighter with a magic missile. Ember moved up to the same goblin fighter that charged Hans and flanked him. She cut him in the shoulder and the goblin screamed, but kept his attention on Hans.

The goblin wizard was about to cast a spell when an arrow shot him in the leg, disrupting his concentration. Pilineth loosed a second arrow on the goblin archer on the roof opposite her, whom only she could see. Pilineth shouted to no one in particular, "watch out! There's an archer on the roof!"

Sondossa moved farther into the dead end alley and cast cure light wounds on the unconsious Hans, and right after Tsel stealthily snuck up behind the wizard and attacked him with a powerful stab in the back. The second goblin fighter ran up to Sondossa and luckily missed her as he slipped on a pile of wet dung. However, the goblin ranger shot Sondossa in the left shoulder, causing her to scream shortly in pain.

The goblin fighter attacking Hans found an opening to slash at Hans in the side, and chinks of armor flew away as the goblins sword sliced into Hans' side. Hans stumbled back, but landed a final blow on the goblin before falling unconcious, splitting the goblin's stomach open and his entrails came pouring out.

Fawks moved to attack the goblin ranger on the roof over head and cast a ray of frost, hitting him square in the chest.

Ember turned her attention and charged at the second gobin fighter and hurdled over them to put herself between him and Sondossa. She hacked and slashed at the creater. The goblin fighter parried with his sword and achieved a few hits on Ember, but Ember was faster, taller, and she had slightly more reach than the goblin. She feinted with some attacks and put her full strength behind others.

The goblin wizard cast a fireball spell on the party, encasing Ember, Sondossa, and his fellow goblin inside the flames. Ember and the goblin gritted their teeth while Sondossa screamed bloody murder.

Pilineth shot an arrow at the goblin archer, the shaft portruding from his chest where his heart was. The goblin stumbled, and fell off the edge of the roof flailing, his cloak flying out above him, hitting the cobblestone street with an audible snap from his legs breaking. A pool of blood began to form around the dead creature.

Sondossa stepped away from the mayhem and focused a cure moderate wounds on Hans, then grabbed a cure light wounds potion from her belt and drank that.

The goblin fighter saw an opportunity to knock Ember's legs out from under her, but she was faster and jumped at the last instant with her scimitar coming down full force into the creature's skull as she landed, splitting it down the middle. Blood began to gush from the gaping wound. Ember placed her foot onto the goblin's face and wiggled her scimitar from the skull, looked around, and noticed there was only one goblin left alive.

Tsel was fighting the goblin wizard, and was obviously winning so far. The wizard didn't have any wounds and Ember couldn't see if it was bleeding, but she did see that the wizard was on its last leg since it was swaying on its feet, his hands moving clumsily as he tried to cast a spell. The wizard fell unconcious after Tsel gave him a hard wack in the head with the hilt of his sword.

The party stood where they were, some panting and gasping for breath, others asking for healing from Sondossa or reaching for their belt for a potion to heal themselves. Hans in particular could only stand up and lean against the wall, waiting for Sondossa to cast a healing spell. Ember walked over to Tsel and the unconsious goblin.

"Will you tie him up for me?" Tsel asked. He was slouching a little and appeared to be blinded. "I was hit with the spell Color Spray before the damnable goblin finally went down."

"Of course," Ember complied. She unstrapped her adventurer's stachel and sifted through everything before finding a fourty foot rope. She flipped the goblin wizard onto his stomach, straddled the creature and began to tie its hands, then its feet. She also decided the goblin should probably stay silent if he were to wake up, so she gagged him with the rope too.

"We should probably get out of here," suggested Fawks nervously. "The Nightwatchmen will be here any second!"

"Why didn't they come earlier?" Sondossa asked genuinely. "We certainly made enough noise to wake up the whole district."

"You mean _you_ made enough noise to wake up half the city," Pilineth said wearily as she climbed down from the rooftop.

Sondossa flushed. "I'm sorry. This is the first deadly fight I've ever been in. I was more surprised and shocked than in pain," she admitted.

"It's alright lass," consoled the dwarf. "But ya best be prepared for more like this! Er else yer just gonna be dead weight."

"That doesn't make me feel much better, my friend," Sondossa glared at Hans, but her expression quickly changed into a playful smile. "Thanks."

"So," Ember interjected, lifting the unconsious goblin wizard as if it was trash she'd rather not touch, "where shall we take him?"

Tsel contemplated a bit as his eyesight came back to him. "I think we should find a quiet corner in these alleyways that's suitable. That should be easy enough, but we should scram before the Nightwatchmen come and investigate."

* * *

Hey guys, sorry for the one day delay. I had a big test that was today (2/11/11) and I was freaking out a little. I feel it went well.

Leave a review, comment, or question for me if you like. I promise the next chapter _**will**_ be up by next week on thursday (2/17/11).

Have a good weekend!


	3. Interrogation

Updates will now be every week on Saturdays or Sundays. School's got me distracted. I'm sure most, if not all of you can understand.

Please, if you've enjoyed the story so far, put my story on Story-Alert at the bottom of your screen. Thank you very much.

**Author's Notes** are in the Profile. Includes maps!

* * *

Ember hoisted the goblin wizard on to her right shoulder, holding him in place with her arm.

Meanwhile, Tsel and Fawks were looting the dead bodies for any treasures. Sadly for them, nothing of value was found.

"Okay guys, are we ready to head on out of here?" Ember asked, pointing a thumb down an alleyway.

"Not down there Ember. That'll be the quickest way to run into the watchmen," Tsel warned with a small smile displaying amusement. "I know a better place. Follow me."

"Whoa whoa whoa WHOA! How do we know you're not leading us into a trap?" Sondossa asked, implying that Tsel shouldn't be trusted.

"Now hold up," Tsel's voiced grew in volume, his eyebrows scrunched together in puzzlement and anger. "What about that shady fellow Raskalin? He was flirting with you from the start!"

"Oi!" Hans interrupted with a quite bellow, "we shouldn't be speculating about one another! We _should_ be high-tailing it out'ta here b'fore we go to jail!"

"Hans is most certainly right," Pilineth said nodding her head, then looked at both Tsel and Sondossa with disapproving glares.

Sondossa paused, letting her suspicion get the best of her. "Fine," she finally said, "but if we are led to believe something that's not true, even my goddess Rao will not stand for peace between us."

"So mote it be," Tsel said with a forced smile.

* * *

The party followed Tsel, first at a jog, then at a run when they began to hear the clamouring of warning handbells from the Nightwatchmen nearby. Tsel took so many twists and turns through out the alleys of Greyhawk City that most of the party didn't know where they were.

The goblin Ember was carrying on her shoulder soon woke up from the jostling and began to squirm. Embers grip on the goblin was strong, and all the weak wizard could do was kick and pound on Ember. With the gag in his mouth and his hands tied, he couldn't cast spells anyhow.

Tsel spun down the corner of an empty alleyway and stopped. "Here," he said, "there's an empty cellar entrance somewhere around here."

"You sure you ain't working for the other side hmmm?" Fawks joked, failing to lighten up the tension between the group.

Tsel ignored it. "Oh, here, its under this grate." Tsel moved to the bottom of a wall of a building in shambles. "No one's lived here in ages, not since I was a boy."

"Welp, lets hope no one lives 'ere now," Hans said ominously, eyeing the buildings outside structure.

Tsel lifted the heavy cast-iron grate and set it as gently and quietly as possible up against the wall to the left side of the opening. He climbed in feet first, his hands clumsily slipping off the street for the last few feet to the cellar's ground. He landed with an audible thud as he rolled on his back in his fall, and a whispered curse. The party outside heard the scrambling on feet and hands trying to stand, and soon found themselves smiling a little with the thought of what just happened.

Tsel soon after came to the opening a little ruffed up and indicated that he'd help people on their way down.

By this time the goblin had come to terms with the fate that awaited him, or what he thought awaited him, and soon became tired and settled down on Ember's soulder.

After everyone but Ember had gone through the opening to the abandoned cellar, she handed down the now limp and not struggling body of the goblin wizard to Hans and Tsel, making sure to give him a few knocks on the head and ribs on the way down. Ember fell through the opening, landing on her feet before taking back the goblin to set down in a corner of the cellar. Tsel, with the help of Pilineth, dragged the grill of the cellar wall back into place. Ember untied the rope gag around the goblin's head and the wizard spat in her face as soon as it was off.

Ember paused a moment, put the rope back neatly in her pack, then turned and punched the goblin square in the face, causing his head to ricochet off the cobblestone walls, elliciting a subdued yelp.

"Who sent you?" Ember growled.

The goblin stays silent, a defiant light in his marble-like eyes. "I said, who sent you?" Ember demands, raising her voice. She pulls her fist back, threatening to punch him again, and the goblin flinches, and a quiet, almost inaudible wimper escapes the wizard despite himself.

"I- I- was ssent by a m-man with a d-d-dark cloack and... and he had uh, uh, oh, umm a little broach on his cl-cloack," the goblin managed to stutter out. "I-it looked like a, uh, a ram with a horn br-broken."

"That's the Braesier family's crest," Sondossa added helpfully.

The goblin looked over the cleric thoroughly before saying, "you must be the one th-that the man s-s-said to look out f-for. You're a fr-friend of the K-K-Kotun family, ya?"

"That is of no importance to you or anyone here goblin," Sondossa replied curtly.

"Aye, we're the ones askin' tha questions 'ere goblin," Hans added, pulling his sword from its scabbard, toying with it.

"My name is not g-g-goblin. I-it's Vlgur Iaya i-in your language," the goblin rebutted.

"Who cares!," eclaimed Tsel.

"Why did they, the Braesiers, send you to kill us?" Ember asked, trying to keep the party on track.

"Th-they? Only one p-person sent me an-and fellow goblins. No they. He p-payed us," Vlgur replied innocently.

"Argh," Hans growled in exasperation. "We're gettin' nowhere wit' dis. Lets jus' kill 'em an' see if he's got some loot on 'im."

"NO! No! P-p-p-please d-d-don't kill me! I'll t-t-tell you e-e-everything," the goblin begged, scrambling farther into the cellar corner.

Ember leaned in close to the ugly goblin's face and said threatingly, "start talkin'."

* * *

The goblin wizard Vlgur Iaya explained to the party that he'd never seen the man's face who paid them, or claimed to have not seen the man's face. No amount of threatening or punching and kicking would make him say otherwise. He also went on to stutteringly explain that he and his friends were assigned to follow a letter with the lizard stamp that would appear eventually within the next few days.

They got a tip from someone that the letter would appear in the Foreign District, so they set up the quickest routes to travel between most of the popular Inns and taverns in the Foreign District. They got a second tip off from an ononymous person that night who was bathed in shadow, almost invisible to those who wouldn't be looking for him. The tip was to check the Blue Dragon Inn, so the goblins arrived clocked, and almost right after they had arrived, a cloacked man gave the letter to the group of people on the other side of tavern.

The instructions given to the goblins were to kill those who carried the letter, then burn the letter. No one would be the wizer that these people whould have died for nothing but a letter.

"H-however," Vlgur said ominously, "there is something the m-man who hired us w-wants you to have. Here," he hands over a piece of folded parchment to Ember.

* * *

_Dear you lucky bastards,_

_If you're reading this note, you've probably  
__killed all the goblins I sent you. Oh well, I  
can always get new ones. I cannot,  
__however, get another one of the priceless  
__gems I've stolen. I assume that stupid,  
arrogant wench Selia hired you to pursue  
me. Feel free, but I get to watch..._

_Your's truly,_

_L.B._

_

* * *

_

"Lanil Braesier, one of the younger sons of Lanich Braesiar," Sondossa clarified after reading the note herself.

"Well," Ember began to inquire, "shall we kill the goblin or gag him again?"

"Just kill him. We don't need him anymore," Fawks said suddenly, who had been quiet for most of the conversation.

"No!" was what the goblin was about to say before Hans' blade stuck through to the other side of Vlgur. He twisted and pulled the blade out with a squelching noise.

"Now, can you tell me what your involvement with the Kotun family is Sondossa?" Tsel asked, glaring at Sondossa's hypocricy.

Sondossa put both hands up, palms out, in a defensive position. "Look, I am a friend of Selia Kotun," the last name rolled a little awkwardly off her tongue, "and it's important that friends have each other's backs, yes?"

"Yes," Pilineth agreed, "but not when survival and life and death are on the line!"

"Fine," Sondossa said reluctantly, "I'll tell you my relationship with Selia."

* * *

Sorry for the huge delay! I tried making donuts over the weekend and forgot about this, then I fell asleep yesterday with the labtop on my lap. fail right?

Please leave a review!

Next one will be up on Saturday/Sunday!


	4. Secrets

**Author's Notes** are in my Profile!

* * *

"But first, we must find someplace safe," Pilineth interjected.

"I agree," said Fawks, "I'm tired."

"Aye, an' I'm ready fer a coupl' pints of ale," added Hans.

"Then shall we get rid of the body?" Ember asked, pointing to the dead goblin wizard.

"Nah, leave him. No one's going to find him anytime soon," Tsel said lazily with a flick of the wrist. Ember shrugged and began walking to the covered opening they came through.

"We probably shouldn't leave through that opening Ember. If we got caught by the Nightwatchmen, we'll seem suspicious," Sondosa warned.

"Oh," Ember said stupidly, "right."

"There's a trapdoor around here that leads to this cellar," Tsel said. "Ah! Here is it!" He moved his hand over a piece of cobblestone that swung open as if on a hinge. Inside the hollow the stone left, there was a rusty iron handle. "There doesn't seem to be any traps attached to the door either," Tsel said somewhat distractedly as he examined the cracks on and around the door.

"Let me at it," Hans said, placing a hand on the handle. He tugged at the door, but it didn't open. "Huh," Hans said, a little baffled.

"It's probably stuck," Fawks said.

"Wait, there's a key hole here," Tsel said pointing to a small brass plate under the handle with a tiny hole in it.

"You can pick it right?" Sondossa asked a little anxiously. "This cellar is getting to me. I mean, why would a cellar have a hidden handle on the _inside_ of the room?"

"Do you doubt my skills?" Tsel asked in fake hurt.

"No, of course not, just hurry up," Sondossa said, "please."

Tsel spent a few minutes wiggling his lock-picking tools inside the tiny key hole. "Ha!" Tsel said triumphantly as the door swug inward.

"All right," Fawks said, gesturing for Ember to lead the way, "let us get out of here."

"Indeed," Pilineth said with a small smile, "but let Tsel go first. He can scout out the building."

"Right," Tsel said, then dissapeared through the cellar doorway.

* * *

"Everything's clear," Tsel said, peering his head through the doorway.

The group followed Tsel through the stairway up to an almost empty room except for a rotting wooden chair and a carven square table. The next room they were taken to was the front room, where there was a small stool by the staircase, which was in dangerous disrepair. There was a closed door and an open one, the latter leading into the streets of greyhawk.

Suddenly, a dark figure appeared within the threshold of the open door.

"Raskalin," Sondossa said with a tinge of annoyance.

"My dear Sondossa," Raskalin said, bowing slightly in her direction with a mischevious smile.

"Would you like to join us on our way back to the Blue Dragon Inn?" Sondossa asked with ill concealed distaste.

"I would be happy too."

* * *

The party walked in the dimly lit streets of the Artisan's Quarter toward the Inn in the Foreign Quarter. There were many people still bustling about this section of the City of Greyhawk, most ignored the party and plowed right through or just walked around them.

"So find out any clues about the where-abouts of the item?" Raskalin asked seriously.

"Yes," Pilineth said. "Here is something I feel you'll find interesting." She handed over the Braesier note.

Raskalin skimmed the note, then handed it back. "Interesting."

"We can think of what we're going to do next _after_ we hear about our cleric's relationship with _your_ master," Tsel said accusingly toward Raskalin.

"Oh that's nothing but a trivial matter," Raskalin said reassuringly. "She and have been friends since they were small children."

"Oh aye?" Hans asked, incredulous. "An' ya didn't think ta mention that before?"

"Oh I will tell you my relationship with Selia, alright! Just wait until we get somewhere where we can sit down and relax," Sondossa's voice sounded hoarse. "That's all I want," she added in a mumble.

* * *

Do they trust you yet?" He asked with a whisper.

"Not all of them. The one girl is being difficult."

"Then get on it!"

"I will. You shouldn't worry," the second voice said calmly. "Have I ever failed you?"

"No," the first said grudgingly.

"Good. You'll have your hero. I guarentee it."

"Then leave," the first pointed away from him. "The time is coming soon."

Tsel nodded his head and walked steadily out of the dark alley, as if he was on an afternoon stroll.

* * *

Sorry this is late. I've been soooooooo busy! The next chapter won't be up until Monday the 7th since I'm going to be SWAMPED over the weekend of the 4th.

I will go back to updating on Saturdays before **12:00pm EST** after the 7th.

Thank you for reading!


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